United up to third place

The third meeting of the season between the two division one champions of 2022-23 season saw United complete a hat trick of wins against the Surrey based club.

From their kick off a long ball by Hollie Montgomery evaded the Woodley defence finding Maya Adams unmarked and a run at goal. However, Ellen Surtees recovered to make an interception as Adams prepared to shoot, passing the ball to Sophie Cheadle to clear for a throw in.

United responded with Maddie Sawyer firing over the cross bar from distance in the fifth minute and taking the lead three minutes later. Michelle Quinn’s pass to Mollie Haines was in turn played forward to Sarah Lawrence whose first time cross from the right reached May Hamblin at the far post to poke the ball into the net from three yards.

Four minutes later Haines put an identical cross into the host’s goal area which Hamblin narrowly failed to connect with, as Woodley stated to move the ball well and create a number of chances including home keeper Jodie Gray-Plazza saving well from Lawrence seventeenth minute.

The hosts relied on Adams pace in much of their forward play but the winger struggled to create any chances due to the marking of Charley Evans. Tina Brett shot over the cross bar following a clearance from an Evans’ corner before United doubled the lead eight minutes before half time. A run form midfield saw Sayer pass to Alex Ayckbourne whose pass split the defence allowing Hamblin to run onto the ball and beat Gray-Plazza one on one at the far post.

As the pitch got heavier and United making good use of the wings, the second half saw much of the play in the hosts’ half with Surtees putting good balls into the penalty area from the right wing back position.

The third goal came in the sixty fourth minute. Ayckbourne received the ball from a throw in and her cross from the goal line was met by Lawrence who took a touch to control the ball before firing past Gray-Plazza from six yards.

The scoring was completed seven minutes from the end of normal time. A clearance from Woodley’s penalty area found Lawrence on the left flank several yards inside Badshot’s half, The winger held of a challenge to run towards the penalty area and pass to the unmarked Saj Turner to score from sixteen yards.

The win takes the team up to third place in the Premier Division.

Cheadle. Haines, Evans, Quinn, Sims, Surtees, Lawrence (Turner), Sawyer (Devlin), Brett, Ayckbourn, Hamblin